These Tennessee-based funeral homes craft life stories for the families they serve

Last November, Family Legacy brought the Moving Wall, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, to Springfield, Tennessee in a show of solidarity with the community’s veterans. It’s a gesture the company will repeat this year in another location, shortly before Veterans Day.

“For veterans to be able to see their brothers’ names… it’s a powerful experience and it’s very healing,” said Ben Upton, Family Legacy’s vice president of advance planning. “We know that there are a lot of veterans who will never be able to go to Washington, D.C. to see the actual memorial. There’s no expectation of return on that cost for us; it’s just the right thing to do to help our community.”

This ethos of generosity and focus on “the healing process” exemplifies Family Legacy’s compassionate culture. The company, a locally owned group of Tennessee cemeteries, funeral homes and cremation centers, is dedicated not only to helping families make final arrangements, but also to celebrating the lives of their loved ones.

Twenty years ago, said Upton, families making funeral arrangements would walk into a room full of caskets, which was often a shocking experience. “That can be really tough on a family. That’s not our primary focus or approach,” he said. “We believe a funeral isn’t something for families to just ‘get through’– it’s celebrating somebody’s entire lifetime in a day.”

Mike Hays, vice president of funeral operations, reiterated that the company’s mantra – “Celebrate Life. Remember Forever.” – is truly the driving force behind Family Legacy’s daily work. “We focus on telling the unique life stories of the families we serve – in light of the work, accomplishments, values and legacy of their deceased loved ones,” he said. He added that when a funeral service company is successfully able to paint a picture of not only what an individual did in life, but who they were and what they believed in, it grants families the greatest level of consolation.

The company has been a mainstay in the Tennessee funeral home industry for decades, but that doesn’t mean it lacks an innovative spirit.

Hays said that although in “old-world culture,” funerals were somewhat cookie-cutter, at an organization like Family Legacy, they’re far more personalized. Family Legacy works with its clients to create a “life celebration display,” complete with sentimental touches that go beyond the obvious framed photos: Things the deceased person collected or important symbols of their accomplishments, beloved keepsakes, etc.

“Our entire focus is on giving families the tools they need,” said Upton. These tools include resources such as the Final Wishes Planner, a booklet that helps families craft a custom plan for their loved ones, as well as the Veterans Benefits Guide and the Aging Parents Planner. Family Legacy even has its own design team and print shop to create custom photo collages, videos, DVDs and other remembrance collateral for clients.

“By providing that experience, it enables [families] to start to heal,” said Upton. “Our focus is not merchandise, or a visitation or a service – it’s, ‘How are we celebrating this life?’”

Though Upton’s job is essentially the head of the company’s sales team, he said traditional “sales” is the farthest thing from his team members’ minds when they work with families.

“You need to have the ability to have tough discussions to work in this industry,” he said. “This is such an intimate subject. Having empathy is a trait every one of us has to have in order to identify with families and guide them through the process in a loving way. It takes a very unique person and a very unique environment.”

And Upton believes Family Legacy provides the best possible environment for these difficult circumstances. In fact, even though he’s worked in the industry for 18 years – 16 of which at other companies – he said he sees himself staying with Family Legacy for the long term. Whereas other companies may simply talk about “putting families first,” he said he sees the words in action in his current role.

“Because we provide an environment focused on learning and individual growth, we’re able to stand out from the competitors,” said Hays. “‘Modern’ is not just about infrastructure and technology. In our case, it’s a commitment to our employees for a positive career track and for helping each of them achieve their personal best.”

Upton added that “ownership” is an important, underlying theme that pervades his team’s day to day. “Everyone operates together, but also very well independently because of that ownership,” he said. “Every time we look at what we’re doing, we’re challenging it; we’re asking, ‘Is this what our families truly want?’ And that’s the differentiator.”